The Dumbing Down of Love
by violets92
Summary: Sully returns and Booth has to help Brennan face a question that overwhelms her. Some BB, a little BS.


This one came to me last night after watching a couple of Sully episodes. Maybe it worked better as a little scene in my head, but I wrote it anyway. Plus, it gave me a chance to sort of address the whole "Coffee Conversation" in Sweets' office. I love Sweets.

Anyway...

The title is after a song by Frou Frou - a band in which Imogen Heap used to be half of. It's called the Dumbing Down of Love. It was also used in "The Graft in the Girl" as Cullen and his wife were crying. Listen to it.

Hope you enjoy the fic. )

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Bones other than the ones in my body.

Oh, and by the way, we're ignoring that Sully told her he loved her _before_ he went.

* * *

Booth walked into Brennan's office carrying a stack of paperwork for their latest case. He'd done his half, and since he'd shot a gun, he'd filed his report. Now all he needed was her half. 

"Hey Bones, is the-" He stopped as he realised the person sitting in Bones' chair wasn't Bones. "Angela?"

'At your service."

"Where's Bones?"

"She went out for lunch." Angela smiled enigmatically, and Booth immediately caught on.

"So who's the new guy then?"

"He's not exactly _new_, but she hasn't seen him in a while." Oh he knew who it was. He was an FBI agent for a reason.

"God, please tell me she isn't joining Dick431's cult." Angela laughed quietly at his attempt to lighten the mood.

"It's not David."

"I know." Booth definitely knew who it was. There was only one guy she'd dated that was ever worth seeing again. "So he's back, huh?"

"Yeah. He came in, offered to take her out for lunch, she accepted, and here I am waiting for all the juicy details."

"Right. Well, I'm guessing you won't be able to tell me where her paperwork from the case is?"

"Actually, she left it here. Asked me to give it to you if you came by." For some reason, that thought just depressed Booth even more. It really didn't feel all that great to be an afterthought.

"Right, well, I'd better go and file it then. I'll see you later Angela." He was on his way out the door when he heard her call.

"Hey Booth?" Sighing, he turned around.

"Yeah?"

"She's not going to do it again. She's not getting back together with him."

"How do you know?"

"Come on…this is Bren we're talking about. She didn't go with him. She stayed. Here. With you. You should really know that counts for something."

"She didn't stay because of me Angela. She stayed-"

"Yeah, yeah purposelessness and all that. I never said she stayed _because_ of you, but even if she did, Does it matter? At the end of the day all, she was by _your_ side. Not Sully's."

"I know."

"I hope you do Booth. You mean a lot to her. And I know she means a lot to you too." For the first time in the conversation, Booth looked Angela in the eye.

"She does. She really does Angela." Then he smiled almost cockily. "She told you I mean a lot to her?"

Angela rolled her eyes before replying. "Sweets isn't the only therapist around here you know." She stood up and stopped by him on her way over to the couch. "There are some things that just can't be shared with an FBI shrink." Booth chuckled.

"You're so right with that one." He touched her arm lightly in a friendly gesture. "Thanks Angela. Really."

"Anytime Booth. Just make sure you thank me in your wedding speech." Booth rolled his eyes.

"Antiquated ritual, remember?" They laughed. "Besides, it's not like that."

"Not yet anyway." Angela smirked and Booth walked out before she could shrink him anymore.

Maybe he hadn't been an afterthought after all.

* * *

Booth swirled the coffee around in his cup. He laughed quietly. Coffee. He knew exactly how she took her coffee. Black with one and a half sugars. He remembered once, when himself, her and Sully were at the diner and Sully had ordered her coffee putting two sugars in. Booth had seen her wince at the sight of far too much sugar, but she drank it anyway, out of politeness, grimacing slightly every sip. At the time, he didn't think he remembered her doing such a thing out of kindness. 

Now, the thought of her drinking more coffee with Sully just saddened him. Coffee was meant to be _their_ thing. Their relationship. If there were no more murders it would be friendship and coffee. Meeting up on weekends for two cups of coffee and _maybe_ some pie at the diner. It struck Booth that maybe he wanted more. And for a second, he was almost glad there were so many criminals in DC.

Maybe he should have incorporated a little more Thai food and Mac and Cheese into their "no murders" scenario. At least Sully didn't have that. Okay, so he'd had Carly's Mac and Cheese, but he most definitely had not had Bones'. That thought thrilled him a little more than it should have.

Coffee, Thai food, Mac and Cheese…yeah, he could live with that.

For now.

* * *

"So…how'd your lunch with Sully go?" He didn't really need to hear it. The fact she was sitting in her office alone, the way she was sitting, the look on her face…oh it went badly. 

"He told me he loved me." She had that look in her eyes. That helpless little girl look that he couldn't possibly resist trying to take away. After shifting uncomfortably at her revelation, he continued the conversation.

"You mean loved as in loved you a year ago or _loved_ as in…"

"His exact words were 'I love you Tempe'."

"Uh…wow." Booth subconsciously flattened his tie. "So what'd ya tell him?"

"Nothing. I didn't say anything."

"_Nothing?_" Brennan looked up at his slightly horrified face, and despite the situation, felt somewhat defensive.

"I didn't know what to say Booth! It's not like I've ever been in a situation like that before."

"Yeah, but I mean…_nothing_? Way to go easy on a guy Bones."

"What did you expect me to say? I don't do well in relationships. You know that. I've never been around that long to say…you know."

"Riight, because you don't believe in love." The only thing that was stopping her from being offended was the half smile on his face as he pointed at her almost accusingly.

"No, Booth. I do. I love Angela, I love Russ, I loved my mother," She looked at him pointedly. "I love…I love my father…well, sometimes." They shared a small laugh before Brennan sobered. "I'm not heartless you know."

He smiled softly. "I know."

"But Sully…" She looked at him helplessly again. "Sully…"

"You got scared."

"Usually, I'd agree with you, but it's been a year. He's changed, I've changed. Whatever feelings I had for him before have obviously changed too. I've moved on with my life."

"No offence Bones, but I haven't seen a boyfriend around in _quite_ a while." He smirked, but it didn't last for long as she gave him a glare.

"Moving on doesn't necessarily signify dating again, Booth, it just means that along the way something became more important to me than thinking about how much I missed him." She took a deep breath, as did Booth at the somewhat intense moment.

"Did you love him?" She barely heard the question and Booth looked a bit afraid of the answer.

"I don't think I did." She looked thoughtful for a second. Booth paused for a minute, then smiled gently.

"You didn't really."

"Didn't what?"

"Didn't love him." Brennan looked up at him incredulously.

"How could you possibly know that Booth?" He walked towards her desk and leaned forward, looking her in the eye.

"Because you had to think about it. You see, the thing with real love, true love…it lasts. When you love someone that much, whether they go away for a week, a year, ten years…when they come back, you know…you love them. You and Sully, you might have loved him to some extent before he left, but that stopped the minute he left you."

"Booth…"

"He left you standing on that pier, and you had to watch him sail away._You_ think that if he _really_ loved you, he would have stayed."

"Just because he didn't stay it doesn't mean…look at Russ, my father…"

"Yeah, but they're family. They love you because you belong there, you're a part of them, and in your head, you know that if you were a part of Sully, and he was a part of you, he would have stayed."

"Or I would've gone with him."

"Exactly." He stepped back and she took another deep breath, presumably to stop a tear from falling.

"Is there something wrong with me Booth? Is there a sign on me that says 'If I'm showing signs of loving you, leave me'?" This time, the tear did roll down her cheek.

"Hey, Bones," His voice was soft. "There are people who've stayed. Angela won't go anywhere _without_ you…and your dad and Russ came back for you." She seemed to hesitate for a moment before replying.

"What about you? Are you going to leave me?" He smiled and moved around the desk, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No, Temperance. I'll never leave you."

* * *

**A/N: Loved, liked, hated with a passion? Oh do tell. They really should add little flashing lights around the review button. **


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